“It wasn’t clear to me why I was excluded" - Fognini still puzzled on exclusion of Davis Cup team as feud between him and Volandri escalates

Fabio Fognini announced his retirement from tennis at Wimbledon a few months ago. There, he bowed out of the sport at the age of 38 in a five-set thriller against the reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz. However, his time away from the spotlight has seen a feud reignited with Italy's Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri.

The Italian proudly led his country to yet another Davis Cup, securing a third title on the bounce in Bologna. Despite not having his best players in Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, he could fully rely on the talent of Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini to see them through to more success in the event.

Back in 2023, Fognini was starting to slide down the order. A barren spell had seen him drop outside of the top 100 in the rankings. This made his inclusion in the 2023 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage squad harder to justify, and he was left out. Furious with what he believed was the wrong decision, Fognini went to X to let out his true feelings.

“On Monday, while I was in Genoa, the captain’s call came to me: suddenly I no longer fit into the plans, without justifiable explanations and in ways that I didn’t agree with, disrespectful of my history and my Italian past, because until lastly I was informed that I would be in the squad and available to take to the field,” part of the tweet stated.

Over two years have come and gone since this feud. It seems that the pair have not chosen to sort out their feelings for one another, with tension still in the air. Fognini has recently added fuel to the fire in an interview on Italian channel Rai2. Two years on, and he is still in the dark about why he was not chosen. “It wasn’t clear to me why I was excluded. I didn’t have a discussion with anyone; I think that’s the most ridiculous thing," Fognini declared. "Being a man requires discussion, even if sometimes with differing opinions. Ask Volandri why; that’s how it went, I didn’t accept it and I never will.”

The former doubles Grand Slam champion also explained the events after his final professional match. He and Volandri's tables were next to each other, but not a complimentary word was spoken. “On the very day I announced my retirement at Wimbledon, I was at dinner and Volandri was at the next table. He said hello but didn’t have the courage to say anything to me, not even a compliment on my career. He didn’t say anything to me.”

Unfortunately for Fognini, he would miss out on representing his country once more in the Davis Cup as Italy won the 2023 version, kicking off a period of dominance in the tournament. While Fognini seems to still be bemused about his exclusion, Volandri had shedded light on his choice to leave the experienced tennis player out of his squad back in 2023 when speaking to ANSA.

“In his latest appearances, Fognini has suffered retirements and physical problems,” Volandri said at the time of the decision. “His performance in the last three months did not meet the criteria that, in my opinion, must be met to obtain a call-up to the Davis Cup. While I was in New York, I received a phone call from a member of his medical staff who was already telling me that Fabio was in very poor condition. Despite the fact that a federal staff was proposed to him, with technicians, athletic trainers and doctors at his disposal, precisely to try to recover him. So, I respected his wishes but he left me no choice, that’s the truth. I wish Fabio to return to the levels he belongs to and I continue to thank him for what he has done in the past in the Davis Cup. This is the last time I address this topic publicly; we are on the eve of an important appointment, much more than our personal destinies, so we must all focus on the goal.”